The Ringer-Verse - 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' Instant Reactions | The Midnight Boys

Episode Date: May 5, 2023

No sleep till midnight! The Midnight Boys are back with the entire gang to talk about their thoughts on the latest entry into the MCU: 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' (06:18). They discuss the emotional ride the film took them all on and what they loved so much about it. Later, they talk about the future of the Guardians and what James Gunn's future absence can mean for the franchise and the MCU (80:35). Hosts: Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Steve Ahlman, and Jomi Adeniran Social: Jomi Adeniran Senior Producer: Steve Ahlman Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Welcome into the Ringerverse. This is, of course, the Ringer's Nexus podcast feed for all. things fandom we are the little baby show the 24-carat closer and brunch hotty spilled it down

his thigh brunch we are we're going to brunch today old man van with me and you're going to brush today old man van he of the receding non-existent hairline researching hairline we are

Steve the architect almond the tinker a builder of things we are Jomey the Explaner a dinner on together we are known as of the midnight boys. A pew-poo! Late with the pew-poo. Like,

we say the pew-fews and then you hear the pew-poo so that it doesn't get drowned out. I actually don't think that that's the way we've been doing it. I think that it's been a simultaneous pew-poo, but that's okay. You're trying to get me on some curb charges this morning

already? This is how I know Vann is in New York City. He's an extra salty. You're extra salty. I am in New York. the East Coast is really like not vibing with you, Van. You're a little on edge. People won't get out of my way.

It's like, I don't understand how y'all like move around. You got to go with the flow of the, you got to go with the flow of the traffic, van. You have to feel the vibrations of the city. You're like tough, right? I've been in New York a lot of times and I keep waiting for the day that I understand how to walk in the city, but people is like, and then it's like, hey, yo, you know, I don't know, that's

the whole thing with New York, hey, yo, hey, yo, TMZ. Like, leave me alone. Um, okay. Follows on socials. Insta, Twitter, Twitter, I love New York, by the way. Insta, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, save,

Jomi's job. Programming. Yeah. Programming, remind us! On Monday, the House of Rour will be giving you their deep dive into Guardians of The Galaxy, Volume 3. I cannot wait to hear that.

I want to hear what Mallory has to say. I'm really interested in hearing what Mallory has to say, because she's an animal lover. Well, Joe's an animal lover, too. Mallory is more, she seems like she gets to the cutesy characters more than Joe. You know, me and Mao bonded over Eagli. We bonded over Igogo. But Joe loves the animals, too.

Joe's got the cat, and she loves a sweet dog and stuff. So we'll see. the movie is interesting for animal lovers. On Wednesday, the Midnight Boys, are having our first induction Midnight Meter 12 induction ceremony. Okay, that's written twice in the document, but I read it because I'm Ron Jeremy.

We're going to induct the films into the Midnight Meter. This is very important. Now, we keep talking about the Midnight Meter, and it's importance as far as the framework of the Midnight Boys ranking system, but we have to officially induct movies that are 12s into the 12 Hall of Fame. Let's have a mini

little meeting of the brains on this. Give me two movies or three movies or just some movies that we know for sure are 12s, for sure. Yeah, so how we're doing this basically is like there are already the movies that we're not arguing over. The Dark Knight is in there. Like, I think Infinity War Endgame are

basically a package in there. You know, we're really, this one is for like what are the newish movies that we are all going to stump for to get into the into the hall of it or even the older movies is batman 89 or 12 is superman the movie a 12 see old man van that's going to be the one you might have to pick those because my black ass ain't picking that shit you know what I'm saying we only got two we only got so much fun but it's only so much room in the hall of flame. I am definitely going to stump

for Batman 89 being a 12 for sure. A 12? A 12. A 12. I'm going to stump for Batman 89 being a 12. I think there are two Batman movies. Wait, over the sequel though. Over the sequel, this is okay. Over the sequel in terms of Batman returns? No, other than sequel in terms of I mean, yeah, of course. But I would think

that Batman 89 is a 12. I would think so. But, you know, we'll know. We'll see. Spider-Man or Spider-Man 2. Which one is 11? Which one is the 12? Okay, it's going to be a lot of fun. We got to figure out what the 11s and the 12s are. On today's show, I'm excited. We're giving you our instant reactions to Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3,

the end of a delightful trilogy of movies. We all saw it. End of an era. God damn it, Charles, the end of an era. You're absolutely right. We're just going to let you know. We're going to be spoiling anything that happened in the MCU before this. Jomey, what are you going to spoil?

I'm going to specifically spoil not only everything that happens in the Guardians 1, volume 1, 2, 3, the holiday special, Infinity War, end game. I'm going to specifically spoil the end of Jonathan Hipkins' run

on a Fantastic 4. I'm going to spoil that. I'm going to spoil that just for fun. Why not? Everybody's fun time, as always. Boom. Boom. There you go. I'm spoiling everything you've ever watched and everything you've ever devoted your life to.

Steve, give me the spoiler warning. We're getting ready to talk about Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3. You're listening to a reaction podcast. The spoilers are coming. All right, before we can get into the meat and the potatoes of Gardens of the Galaxy

in volume 3, you have to get in the need to know. There's only one way to do that. That's the Midnight Manifest, which Chuck is going to bring you three. right now. All right, and this is your Midnight Manifest for the Guardians of the Galaxy volume 3 directed and written by James Gunn. In the aftermath of Endgame, a new version of the Guardians of the Galaxy consisting of Peter Quail, Rocket, Group, Tracks, Nebula, Cosmo, and Craglin are operating out of nowhere. When Adam Warlock attacks the Guardians' Rebase, Rocket is injured,

and his friends find out he can't be healed thanks to a bomb implanted on his heart by the high evolutionary. In a series of flashbacks, we learned that Rocket was created by the high evolutionary, an effort for the scientists to create the perfect race of beings. As a baby, Rocket forges bonds with fellow animal inmates, Lila, Teefs, and Floor, who are eventually killed by the High Evolutionary as they attempt to escape. In the present, the Guardians alongside Ravager Gamora traveled to a series of planets in an effort to find anything that will help them disarm Rocket's heart bomb. Inevitably, Peter and Groot get what they need to save Rocket, and along with the Guardians, he makes a last stand against the high evolutionary, bringing his

collection of alien beings along the way. Back on nowhere, Peter names Rocket the new leader, of the Guardians as the original group disband to find their place in the galaxy outside the confines of their found family. And this has been your midnight manifest for Guardians of the Galaxy, volume three. Let's get into it. Let's get into our instant reactions

to the movies. To the movie, I just want to hear right now you guys' thoughts, Charles, instant reaction. Gun did it. Like, I'm very, very surprised. Like, he really did it. It, like, melted. Like, I felt like the Grinch in the movie when his heart melts.

It's just this is like an assault of sincerity and warm feelings and cuteness. I didn't know that I could have so much love for a small rodent as I did for Baby Rocket in this movie. Honestly, all of Rockett in this movie. I think Gun hit it out of the park. And more than forecasting the future of Marvel, I think this was like a capper on a certain era of it,

of me realizing why I love these movies to begin with, not just guardians, but a lot of the MCU movies, just having that core, that heart to it, that humor, just wanting to be with these characters in this world. So I really, really love this movie so much. Couldn't echo that more, loved it.

What I wanted, and what I think we've been wanting out of an MCU movie is to actually feel something, to feel stakes, to feel connection. Yeah, I think the movie answered a lot of questions that I had, not just about guardians, but about the state of superhero films that the state of superhero films that were currently in.

I wanted to know, I think I've been asking this question almost unconsciously, whether or not I can go into these movies and still feel, whether or not anything was going to get me, whether or not I was going to feel high drama and connection with the characters, whether or not I was going to feel that they were ever overwhelmed in their world again because a lot of what we've been watching

are heroes that don't feel overwhelmed. After the defeat of Thanos, it seems like anything else that's coming behind them is secondary to what they've always. already been through, you know. So a lot of times it doesn't feel like they're in a situation that they can't get out of.

But what Gunn was able to do in this movie was he was able to put them in an emotional situation that they felt like they couldn't get out of. He, like, gave us all the same superhero gags and tropes and spectacle

that we needed. But at the same time, through the writing of it, and the craft end of the story, he was able to put these characters in situations that we could relate to, humanize them. And that's what's always been so great about the Guardians. And it really, without being hyperbolic, like, restored my faith in a lot of the stuff that could come.

I know he's gone, but just to know that it can still be done was amazing. This movie ripped me to pieces and they built me back up again. I absolutely loved it, Jomey. I enjoyed every single second of this movie. There was so much to unpack, you know, going forward because everybody had like step forward and been like, hey, man, I'm not coming back.

This is my last guardian man. We'll see you on the side. And so you come in expecting, all right, well, it's going to be a lot of carnage, you know, rest of peace, all our guys. And even though everybody survived, you still feel like, wow, man, like they definitely. they're changed, you know, and I mean, all the emotional arcs, you know, rocket. I mean, his old backstory was just incredibly well done. The Peter Gamore relationship, Nebula, Drax, Mantis, every single one of those characters

that we spent time with, all of them had an emotional arc that worked. And so even if you came in not being particularly attached to one character, you left going, wow, I've seen this character through so much. And for them to walk away like this means the world. And it's incredible that James Gunn was able to pull that off, you know, after, you know, how many movies after, I mean, how many years of us going like, man, where's the goods? where's this for this movie to come out and do what it did. Just an incredible feat, incredible accomplishment. And I'm going to be thinking about Baby Rocket for the rest of my life.

Like, this is what it is. Just what a, what a well done, what a special emotional film. Thoroughly impressive. I didn't think that they had any more of the good shit in the liquor cabinet for the MCU, but they still have something in the back that. They still have something in the back,

It's just like, wow, you know what? It's a good night. We're going to take out the good stuff. James Gunn's got the mixture. It's at times incredibly heartfelt, occasionally shockingly violent, still incredibly fun, a type of fun that we forgot that we thought we could have in the MCU for quite a while.

I feel like that this is like the expenditure of all of the creative cachet that James Gunn has and the MCU last. left and it's kind of a rousing hurrah for both his and the rest of these characters stay here and we'll get to like what makes it like the individual parts that make it special. But overall, this has been like a great rousing sendoff for a lot of the characters that we love. And we like, we haven't seen a good thorough ending for a team or a like franchise or a chapter in the MCU again since endgame like this. And this is a really great ending for that. We have to talk about the center of the movie. And I think one amazing thing that Gunn was

able to do, once again, not through CGI, not through IP, but through his pin. Shout out to the writers that are defending their livelihoods right now in Los Angeles and New York. We stand with the WGA because what a writer can do with story is central to why this movie is successful. Rocket gets taken out early in this movie, so we thought. I did not see that coming. I did not know that Rocket was going to be on the men for much of this movie, but it gives the movie such an energy,

knowing that they have to save his life. They're not trying to save the galaxy. They're not trying to even save the world, which every single Marvel movie is about saving the world. They're trying to save the life of a friend, and they're desperate, and they're scared, and they're unsure, and they don't know how to do it. You know what I mean?

And so it's tough. And then we, going from seeing Rocket in that vulnerable state, we go right back to the flashbacks of how he was when he was a kid. Rocket is a gruff character. He's an aggressive character. He's hyperviolent. He's a genius. He's always taken other parts from people.

Even the fact that Rocket always wants like a part of somebody else, you kind of start to see why he's like that. You know what I mean? He always wants an eye from a guy or he wants an arm from a guy. Like you kind of start to see why Rocket is that way. And we get to Rocket and his pals. And guys, when they started to come on the screen, Rocket is a kid. He's a little baby and he is getting experimented on.

And I don't want to like even cry right now. I spent a whole night hugging on Bozeman. I literally did. I spent a whole night hugging Bozeman and stroking Bozeman and kissing Bozeman. I was to see the trauma that the character went through to become what was like one of the most interesting pieces of the MCU was just devastating. It was devastating. It was brilliant. It was amazing.

It was slightly manipulative. But it was just, it was dope to see Rocket center stage other than Quill because, to be honest with you, part of my exhaustion with the, with the Guardians or with the whole thing is I was kind of exhausted

with Peter Quill. And it was a really smart decision to center rocket here and center his backstory and make it seem like the entire story has been about Rock at the entire time. Charles, that was a big risk. I mean, it was a huge risk.

I will say, what's the first word that Baby Rocket says when he's like, he's like, hurt, I think is like the first word. I was just like, what the fuck? I was so just like, it was like I got punched emotionally in the gut. I felt for him. And then when Lila, like, kind of like licks his wound for the first time, I'm just like, how am I feeling so many emotions for these season? characters. But to your point, then, I think that

there was no way that Gunn would know this, but I do think that, like, Chris Pratt is at a point where I think both the Peter Quill character, there have been problems with that character, and I think Chris Pratt might be a little overexposed just in terms of, like, his place in culture. And I think one thing, I think I was, like, reading something that Gunn said was that it's very, very difficult if you think about where Infinity War and Endgame

leave the Guardians, where it's just like, Thor is there, Gamora was killed, and now she's back, but she has none of her memories. And then Peter Quill makes the dumbest choice imaginable in Infinity War,

which kind of just makes you not respect the character as much, because you're just like, is this man an idiot? Like, when you watch the first two Guardians movies, you're like, this man's not an idiot, and by Infinity War, you're just like, yikes. So I think even if those weren't the reasons

he did it, it's such a smart choice being like, we need to re-center this movie and to re-center it on Rocket and finally get his backstory. It's almost like half of this movie is like one of the best origin stories within the Marvel universe. Like you're, by telling the origin of Rocket, you are almost kind of realizing what the magic of these heroes is when you like, when Uncle Ben dies and you see Spider-Man

having to make that choice or when Captain America loses, is Bucky, and you realize how much that sits on him. He does this very good thing where it's like, all right, not only are we ending this, but we're going back to the beginning to show you why really Rocket has been the spine of these movies. Also, there's something else that happened in the movie to where he was able to do what he did for Rocket, Gunn was, for all the characters, but not with as much screen time. or diving into who they are.

Like showing, and we'll talk about it later, showing Drax as a dad, showing Nebula, they all conquered who we thought they were. Even Quill. Even Quill. Quill unedients himself in this movie. He becomes something more than like

what we thought that he could be. He is, Rocket is gone. He's the leader of the Guardians. He's feeling for Gamora, but he puts his, his pride and his hurt to the side to help his friend and he's desperate to do it. He's selfless and you don't really think of Quill that way. As a matter of fact, the main thing about the mistake that he made with Thanos is that it's

the most selfish thing that an MCU character has ever done. it's the most selfish thing that any MCU character has ever done he let his emotions take him out of the fight to save trillions of people's lives and after he's done that

you think well this guy isn't a hero and this entire movie is about... Really quick before he move off that you have to think about it I think even James Gunn said this it's even worse because he doesn't do the one thing that the love of his life asked him to

she's like the most important thing is like hey if it comes to it kill me He tried. He shot her. He tried. He tried. Come on. He hesitated.

Like, it was a little bit. I'm like, bro. I mean, he got to hesitate. He pulled the trigger. I'm like, bro. Like, just do it, man. Nah, he tried. He pulled the trigger.

Thanos turned it in the bubbles. And Thanos knew what it was. It's like she's asked you to do it. Hasn't she? Like, he tried. The moment that that happened, Thanos was going to blink him in the bubble. I see what you're saying. I see what you're saying.

You guys are giving him a lot of credit. Because, like, he faltered a little bit. At least that's my memory. Well, let me tell you something. You know what? You know what had been funny, bro? It'd have been funny if she said kill me. And he goes, oh, boom.

Just like, shoot a little. Yeah. You got to hesitate, Charles. You know what I mean? Like, you, like, you're not going to hesitate a little bit. You got to hesitate. Like, he goes, bam. Like, he's fucking quick draw.

Like, Billy the kid, blows him out. But when you hesitate, what hesitate? What happens? You lose half of the galaxy. I mean, come on. Right. But what I was. Charles, you make good points.

But Quill, it redeems himself in this movie just by his dedication to doing what was needed and his vulnerability that he shows with Gamora, men, boys, the Rocket Babies, every time we started coming back to the flashbacks, Jomi wasn't sitting next to me because he came like disgustingly late to the screen. All right, all right.

So let's talk about the front row. Let's talk about it. Let's talk about it. He came disgustingly late to the screening. You abandoned Van? That's not what happened. Hold on. Everyone abandoned me. No one said that they weren't coming to the screening of Guardians until literally

like a half hour before I said, hey, see everybody there? Steve was like, nah, I'm going tomorrow. Mal was like, nah, I'm going tomorrow. And Joe was like, I'll be there. To fend for himself during this emotional movie? I was in the, I was in, I was in the theater. you're crying. Justin Herbert's fault.

And crying. I cried so much in the movie. And I'm like, I don't even have any support. Steve is always going to blame Steve. I'm disgusted with you. Steve is always going to

secretly choose Mallory over the rest of the midnight boys. That's a fact. That's not true. That's not true. I was working that day. Right. So it's always, that's a fact.

Jomi knows it's true. That's why he's laughing. See, you know what I mean? Jomi came in late, so I was by myself. A old man. It's Justin Herbert. Ford's fault, blame Justin Herbert.

Okay, I showed up to the theater at the normal time, right? Like, literally like 15 minutes before the movie started. But there's no, there's no parking because there was a Chargers draft party. And so I had to, like, go across the pavilion, go through many underground. You know, you saw why I parked, man. I drove you home. I parked three miles away from the place. It took me forever.

But I got there. And I'd sit in the front. my neck was all cranked, but the movie was still great. Speaking of Rocket and his friends, though, man. Just let you guys know. Jomi said that he drove me home, I want to let people know,

that I walked there miles away from my house and I was still on time. Still on time, still there. I walked to the thing and listened to New Rocks. Not a lot of excuses for you. You didn't have to park. You got to take this, hell. You didn't park.

Like, you know, a lot of people like we'll get in and you know Charles man this is your forte you'd be like man it's C Gion it's crazy bro man it was cheese dog the work they did with Rocket and his friends man like incredible

just so well done to the point where especially like when they're running around and playing you just feel like oh man like you just go in a pet store and see that you know I don't think you see a walrus with the

whales on it. But just like seeing those animals interact was just so well done. I know James Gunn, he said like, this is like the first thing we did was do these scenes so that people have adequate time to work on it. And it all came out, man. It looked, it looked and felt just so, so well done. Can I give y'all my first hot take of the, of the pod? Oh, no. I'm fucking with Lila. Like Lila is like a G. Like she's, she's there. by luck perfect teeth and floor like bruh they were some ugly motherfuckers I was just like man I'm like this rough to look at

like I'm just like I hate you I hate you Charles I'm like I don't know I mean look it's fine that he feels that way but do you know what let me tell you why

I kind of understand what he's saying because I was looking at these animals and I was like yo are they in pain they're like That's what I'm saying, bro. Does it hurt that just to be alive? Y'all really don't understand like what I went through.

Like it, it, it, I was so, I don't know if I can see the movie again. I don't know if I can watch it again. I'm, I love the movie. Here's the thing, the walrus was too much. It was just, I was like, this motherfucker looks like it, it just hurts to exist. Yeah.

I'm like, can we, can we like put him out of his misery? And they were bonding with each other. they were all they had. They're in the cages. They're getting terrible experiments done on them. They still have this affinity for the high evolutionary, who is one of the most effective villains in Marvel history. We'll talk about it.

And I'm watching the bond that these characters have, the things that they're going through, they're being tinkered with, they're being sold a dream, they're being imprisoned. and I'm like, yo, whatever inside of me that is like, I'm fucking with this. I'm in, like all the way in.

Like all the way in. And to Charles's point, my man, like they look like Teeth Fores, they look like they were hurt. They did not look pretty. They didn't look pretty. They looked like they were hurt. And I wanted to help. I wanted somebody to save them so desperately

and badly. Spoiler alert, I'm gonna be honest if I had to make a cosmic choice where like, you know, Galactus was like, all right, you have to choose

between like Uncle Ben and like Rocket having his friends, I'd be like, yo, sorry Uncle Ben, I'll see you on the rice box. Because like, when they get,

what? What you just said is genius. What you just said is genius? I don't want to interrupt. You finish cooking. Like, hold on. What you just said is genius,

the right? icebox thing was fucking crazy too. Charles, finish that. And I can't give a more emphatic agreement. There's no one in the history of Marvel. Gwen Rot. Uncle Ben Ross.

Everyone. Everyone. Like, rot. Not even for him to spend five more minutes with his friends. Every single one of you. Black Widow? Good luck in the afterlife. Dunzo.

All. but he'll spend five more minutes with his fucking friends, all of you together, not one person. I can't think one person. Is there one person in the MCU that you would rather resurrect than Rocket Spouse? Fuck, no. I would have to have the discussion with Iron Man. I don't have to think about it.

No, Tony, Tony, I don't know. No, that's my guy. That's my guy, though. That's my man's. No. Tony, Tony, I'd have to think about it. Tony had a good run, and just to let you know, Tony, responsible for a lot of people's deaths.

Let's just keep it about it. Tony responsible for a lot of people. Those characters never hurt anyone, never hurt anybody. Tony Stark, Howard Stark, a lot of people died, okay? Great guys. A lot of people die. Great guys. Killed a lot of people.

Kill, they're good. They turn around. Like, Natasha, cool, a lot of red and a ledger. a lot of red and alleged we've talked about it. Wait, wait, wait, I got one. I got one.

Who? Like, I got one really quick. I just had to do it for my man. It would be, number one would be Tichala. Second would be their friends. Okay. All right. Okay.

Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. What the fuck? Hold on. Okay. I got to be honest with you.

I'm not, I'm not sure. Okay. It's, Van, van, It's, well, okay,

because what are we talking about here? Because it's going to get weird. I would do anything to have our brother back. You know what I mean? No, I'm talking about like the character of Tichala,

like in an alternate reality, Tachala, there. We don't get the movie where we have to see how painful it is when he's not. So, yeah,

but let me tell you the difference, though, okay? And this is tough, but Tachala died off. scream. You know what I mean? And so, Chachala, I almost don't

feel like Tachala should be in this conversation, but yeah, if, because it's too real, but if that's the case, of course, because that means we get our brother bad, that means we have all kinds of things. And I'm talking about, not even main characters, I'm talking about characters that are side characters

that are like, that have, that's fair, side characters. That's spurned people. I'm talking about the Howard Starks. I mean, I did mention the and she's not a side character. She got her own movie. What about Aunt May?

Marissa Tomei. No, you're dead. You're dead. You're dead. You're D.E.D. Dead. I want Lila. I want floors and teeth.

I want them back. They showed them in heaven, and I'm so happy that they did because I was having all kinds of existential crisis. All right. Anyway, go ahead, Jomey. But that was... Charles.

That was amazing. Bruce Wayne's parents... dead dead oh they're dung's out it's fine Superman's fat

dead cooked cooked cold dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead how

Tony's parents dead dead everybody flash's parents dead cooked dead

the part of the movie that got me man like the part that like really got me in the chest man I don't be going

these things and crying bro like I'm not that's not how I might get down but when floor is in

that thing yelling floor teeth's rocket go now floor teaks rocket go now man man right in the right in your eyeballs man right in your right in the center of your chest man that was so oh god you could just feel the fear and feel the terror in her voice and then to turn around and see them both lying there uh oh no no James Gunn is a sicko for that. Like that is sicko, bro. I was just like, you don't have to show their lifeless bodies, man. Like, I'm like, come on, man.

This is too much. Literally, when Rocket went hurts and he touched his head, I audibly said in the theater, oh, my God. I audibly, I was like, oh, my God, man. Like, come on, bro. Do you know what we going through out here in the real world? I'm like, oh, my God. But look, we're talking about how much we love the characters.

But like, once again, the fact that we see what Rocket overcame to become a hero is just such an important part of the hero's journey. And if I was to make a broader statement about sometimes us not being able to connect the characters, it's because the hero's journey doesn't always get sold now. It's always happenstance a little too easy. We don't really get enough time with the character in their struggle phase to understand why we have to care so much about what they're doing. And we didn't get that with Rocket, you know? The Guardians were thrown together with plucking fun in the first movie. We got more of that from Quill, but to kind of see how Rocket was created was amazing.

And I think that the relationship between, you know, those animals in cages who are kind of more human than anything we've seen in the MCU, they believe, like, if you look at those, if you look at Rockin and his friends, think about what bonds them. Faith, overcoming their pain, belief in a system, and the fact that they don't even know that belief in that system is dooming them. They don't even realize that all of the things that they think are keeping them alive and will pay off for them are the things that are eventually going to kill them. And it's only when they get free that they die. They're free for just a second, for just a second to understand the moment they realize they're in jail. Number one, that's when their freedom begins. And the moment they step out, they get killed. that's so human.

Like that's so human. That's so describes in many different ways how the structures that we think are keeping us going really have control over us. And I don't know. I just fucking, I was into it.

I mean, going off what you're saying, I think even in a larger context for the movie, every one of the Guardians' growth in this movie is so human. Like,

even though this is a, very zany. It's not a perfect movie, but it's a very zany movie. There are mature moments of like, a lesser movie would have been like, we need to get Peter Quill and Gamora back together. And instead, what this does is like, we need to get Peter to a point that Mantis helps and get to where it's like stop running from your past. Like, you can't, like, falling back in love with Gamora isn't going to be the thing that saves you. Gamora at the end, realizing that it's not only okay for her to be a different person, it's okay for her to have a new family, a newfound family,

and just even Nebula. Like, Nebula is a character I have never given a fuck about in the MCU ever. And just watching her growth, just being as simple as, I need to learn how to stop judging people. And when she turns to Drax and be like, yeah, your calling in life is not being a destroyer.

It's being a dad. That I'm just like, those are such small character things. You're not saving the world. It is characters going, from point A to point B to point C on an emotional journey that is so relatable where I'm just like, I want more of that from the movies. I want to feel that

connection and feel like even though these are aliens, I feel like I felt like this before. And that makes me want to root for them. Makes you desperate, desperate to root for them. God damn it. And you know, Jomi, let me ask you something. If I

had told you that this movie was going to end and Quill and Gormor weren't going to fall back in love, what would you have thought? I would have thought that, you know, possibly one of, like, you know, one of them out of diet or something.

But I think the movie does an excellent thing. And I mentioned this in my first, my first thoughts was that it gets to a point where because Peter, the whole movie is like, hey, man, you know, we can work this thing out. Like, don't even, we're at a baby. Like, you know, we had a good thing going. Let's keep it moving.

And it takes a lot, you know, like Gomorrah's, like, Hell, bro, I'm not your girl. Mantis, even Nebula. They're like, dude, you got to chill. And it finally comes to a head when he says goodbye to Gamore. And he's like, yeah, we were a lot of fun. But I haven't been jumping from Lily Pad to Lily Pad.

I haven't been swimming. You know? And the movie does an excellent, excellent job of making that feel so natural and so earned. to the point where, like, yeah, I could totally understand why he would now leave the guardians and go back and not, like, you know, stay and fight to be able more because he's grown so much over these last few years. And then, again, that's part of the magic of the movie. That's what the movie does so well. It's not ham-fisted. It's not like, ah, you can totally see, see it happening with Peter throughout the film, his growth and his maturity, realizing that, yeah, this isn't working out this.

wasn't what it's supposed to be. I need to go figure out who I am without Gammar, without the Guardians. Jomi, I mean to tell you that was beautifully said. As your friend, I've been meaning to tell you for some time, you've been jumping from a lily pad to lily pad, not swimming. You know? It's time, man. You've been chasing the Selena 7. Listen.

You forgot what you came from. It's May right now, you know what I'm saying? Way forgot where he came from. It's ridiculous. It's been. It's May, sun coming out, you know what I'm saying? I'm bringing the five-inch in-seam shorts back. I'm sorry, dog.

You have to come back at me next summer. I got to be honest with this. It's going to be a problem in this summer. Hold on for a second. Hold on for a second. When Jomey said I'm bringing the five-inch, I thought that that was going to go a completely different way. Yo!

Dog, dog, dog, no. I was about to say, what the fuck is this? you ain't going to do my man Jomey like that. No, I thought he was being self-deprecated. I thought he was being self-deprecated or something because he African. I know that's not true.

And so when Jomey came out, I'm like, yo what? No. Hey, yo. Jomi's like, it's made. I'm about to bring the five inch. I'm like, what the fuck? What is going on?

I was going to be the transgression of all Transgression. The 5-inch warrior. Jomey the 5-inch warrior. That's no shot. Joe me to 5-ish warrior. Oh, my God. What are we doing on this podcast?

Hey, Role me. Joey the 5-inch warrior. Show me the 5-inch warrior. I think we should all come together. to discuss this at a more meaningful time. No, we should all. We should circle back. That one going to stick for at least a couple of months, bro.

Jomey the office warrior. Yeah, I don't know if you can. I don't know. That's going to stick for at least a couple months. No. Okay, let's get back on track. This episode is brought to you by Prime. Obsession is in session.

And this summer, Prime Originals have everything you want. steamy romances, irresistible love stories, and the book to screen favorites you've already read twice. Off campus, L, every year after, The Love Hypothesis, Sterling Point, and more.

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very tasty, limited time flavors. New Whole Foods, Market Peach, Apricot, Rose, Italian soda. Perfect for a picnic or brunch, as is their trending mango, Yuzu, chantilly cake. But if you're on the go, new 365 strawberry pretzels make a great sweet snack. That sounds delicious. Get savings with yellow sale signs storewide and everyday low prices on 365 brand items. Enjoy the fresh flavors of spring. Save at Whole Foods. foods market. A lot of guardians in the movie. A lot of guardians.

We got the Cosmo Super Pet. What's James Gunn's brother's name in the movie? Craglin. Craglin. A lot of additions to the Guardians family which

I was a little trepidations about when I saw everybody on the poster and I saw everybody together like how are we going to have enough movie for all of these people? They managed to do it. What did you guys think about the entire Guardian's family being prominent the way that they are? I think they juggled it. To your point, I was very nervous. I'm just like, I don't know if there's enough screen time for all these motherfuckers.

They juggled it so well to the point where I was like, like, even someone like Nebula, who I was just like, I was a little bit like, why is she going to be in the mix? And I thought she was the perfect foil for someone like Will. Like she just brought a different energy to the group. It was almost like, it reminded me of the first film a little bit when they're all not friends. And like she's still like, you can tell that she cares about these people. She just does not know how to show it. And I was just like, Nebula, I don't know what it was about this movie.

I'm just like, she's cooking with gas, but I have to say one thing really quick. Fuck Raglan. Like that whole, when he called Cosmo a bad dog, I was just like, how fucking dare you? Like, I was just like, I would never. Like, I was like, I was actually bad shit going on. He's got some baggage that he's got to deal with. He can't take that out on Cosmo. Like, like, I would kill for Cosmo.

Just because you can't do the whistle. You're going to call Cosmo a bad dog because you can't do the whistle. And Cosmo got skills. Blow the whistle. Come on. See you, see you. What's my favorite word? This is how I know Steve is.

Nasty Steve is in for a hot summer. Nasty Steve. Come on, man. Come on. Lo and the ones with Steve, y'all, y'all horny, bro. Like, Steve and Joe is a wild in world. Steve and Jomey want to party. They want a party.

Like the five inch and the blower. What's my favorite word? Like, see, y'all, Stephen and Jamie want a part. The five inch and the blower. That's the new name of the minibition. The five inch and the blower. That's what it is. Y'all, they, y'all want a party.

Y'all want to be let off the chain. I love it. Let's fucking go. Let's go. I think I'm out here. I'm not upset about five inch, but we got to, it's the end seam of my shorts.

That's what it is. I don't know what you're talking about, Jome. Jome. Jome. Deliberate about the meaning. Jomi, the way at the moment that you dropped that in there, I don't know what you expected me to do. I'm, I don't know what you expected me to do.

finish my sentence and get my thought across before making your insults. That's what I thought, man. I thought you let me finish. Oh, man. Steve, any guardians that you thought were underused, did you want to see more from any of them that didn't get as much shine in the movie? Not a heavy drags movie. He was, he was, it was enough drags, but yeah, not a heavy drags movie.

Absolutely. There was enough drags. I, like, honestly, I don't because. at this point this franchise is so in its lane to know exactly how to use these characters Gun is so good at utilizing

and picking the spots of when to deploy a mantis and drag zinger or when to have Quill try to like rally the group to do something or when Gomorra needs to be more pessimistic and the nebula gives her shit.

There are so many plates to spin that this movie has and it does it so well. You didn't miss it thing with anybody. Everybody interacts with different ways with such precision. It's so, so, so good. Anybody could have easily been sidelined. Anybody could have easily been put on the back burner. And nobody did. The guy who's laid up on a table for half of the movie is our borderline main character because of all of the story that we get from him. It's a perfectly executed use of every single character on here. I don't, not only do I think,

We got the amounts of, like, character screen times and, like, how they delivered in the movie, right? I think they finally, like, perfected their, well, not, I want to say, like, perfected, but, so I can, I was going back, I watched volume two and the holiday special. You could argue, man. It's a lot of, it's a lot of matches and drags. It's like, ah, you know, that, you know, it's like a late game in April. You're already tanking, you know, you let your two guys on the bench, let them go for 45 minutes, you know. They go up, do your thing. And, you know, they go for, they go for 35 each, but it's not a clean 35.

They both shot 36 shots. You know, it's not great. But in this movie, they tie in so well that you were like, all right, yeah, this is, like, this drags makes so much more sense. He's not, like, crazy, you know, doing, like, he's more rained in than, like, volume two. And this Mantis is perfect. It's like a perfect foil for. for Nebula and Quill. And it was just like everything that they did was just so well done.

Everybody picked their spots. You know, personally, you know, I would love to see like rocket, you know, actually like, I mean, he kicked a lot of ass in the movie, but like he was on the bed, the whole thing. And, you know, it was really sad. But other than that, man, just it was, it was great. Really quick before we get to the golden corner. I have one question and we can bleep this out if I'm wilding. Oh, please.

you all ever think like one night maybe after one too many mitis, mantis and dracks, wherever like, let's see what happened. No shot. I think the energy is definitely there. I don't think, I don't think.

No. No. No. It's not. I disagree. It probably did happen. It probably didn't happen. But I think that their bond,

you know, might be one to wear a little pickle tickle. Could have gone on. You know, I don't know. Stop. Stop. It seems to me, like, in my fanfic, I'm just like, it's like that relationship you have with the home girl where you're just like, either we are going to be platonic friends or like maybe there's something there. And then you realize like, she's just.

That's platonic. That's platonic. He was, in volume two, he was like, bro, you ugly. I can't even imagine. That's why I said a few mytimes in. He's probably like, oh, man, just don't look that. Come on. Yeah, but to be honest with you, you know, that always, like, that always, that always happens, right?

the people that you work around after a while, you're like, huh, not bad. Because you're around them every single day. So at first, all right, let's get that. Hey, Charles. Let's get back on track. All right. My thing is, y'all, I don't like

when y'all try to act like stuff is not a thing. You know, and I've seen Jomi around the office. What? Okay. Yo, let's go. Let's move on. All right. All right.

We have a fun here. Let me be, what are we going to continue to have it, Steve? Okay? Mr. Blow the whistle. Okay. Look, before we do get the villain's corner, I want to have a different corner. I want to carve out superhero corner because we've talked so much about the emotional mistakes of this movie and how well the story is crafted.

We haven't talked about the fact that there are some kick-ass action and superhero themes like in the film. Like there are legitimately some great action set pieces and sequences, including one that I think goes way, way, way to the top of my Marvel viewing experience and, um, uh, an excitement level for, which was the hallway scene. Like, it's not like the guardians were just standing around in this movie hugging each other the whole time. There was a lot of people getting busy in this movie in ways that were a lot more enthralling than recent Marvel movies. I'm talking about just on the superhero affair. What did you guys think about this film as a exhibit of superhero spectacle?

How did it rate for you there, Charles? I mean, I think before I answer that question, I think what makes the action so effective is because there's a task. feel like, feeling to these worlds, when they go to that, like, squishy organ-filled planet,

because some of it's CGI, but a lot of it is, like, they're in costumes, it feels more real than, like, the quantumverse or whatever

in fucking quantum mania. So by the time you get to the action scene of the hallway, I think that is the best action scene in the entire movie. I would argue that is the best action scene since,

like, end game. Like, that is how much I was just, like, Gun is locked in. And to me, it is because Gunn knows when something needs to be CGI, when something needs to be heavily choreographed.

When we go to the planet where they're all animals and they're all in very real costumes, it's for a very specific reason. And that's why I love this movie is because when I see the fight scenes, I'm like, he planned this all out. This is not something that, like, he farms out and he's just like, all right, This is for another department to figure out how this action scene is going to look. I can guarantee you from the beginning, James Gunn is in the room being like, this is how I want everything to look. This is how I want the characters to fight.

This is what it's going to mean for the story. We're going to have a Beastie Boys song playing in the background. It just seemed way more considered as an entire film and especially the action sequences than anything we've gotten recently. I would put this up. That action sequence, I'll put it up against. some of the best in the MCU, you know, the fight between Steve Rogers and the Winter Soldier in D.C. I think it's better than that one, to be honest. Right. I mean, my all-time favorite is the one shot in Avengers when they go through New York and they show everybody doing their thing that's like my OG.

But this is, this is legitimately up there. That needle drop I was not totally expecting, but now I'm forever going to associate, you know, Beastie Boys, no sleep till. No sleep till Brooklyn with that, with that action sequence. I, yeah, I don't know what else to say except that it was incredible to watch in real time.

Like, Drax opens the door. You see all the, the hell spawn and the people, and they just get busy, dog. They just get busy. And it's incredible.

You know, you see everybody, everybody's got their thing you know the like perfect teamwork perfect you know everybody's in sync Rockets back in action and he's like he's back on Groot

he's going yeah like like just so awesome so fun like you like you mentioned gun just knows when to bring to bring the heat and to cool it and in that moment he brought the heat like we haven't seen in the MCU in a long time

one of the best scenes in a Marvel film in the last few years legitimately incredible villain corner Steve high evolutionary no I was blown away by how good this was

I it takes a minute for you to like really get how kind of starved we were for some like scenery chewing

villains to have in the MCU like it's not like a Thanos where like he's just grandiose and epic and all of these things but this is like this is like high theater

this is like some Shakespeare like I'm going to contemplate the universe and what it means to be a perfect being and then also chew you out for being just a little mutant that I made. An incredible

performance and a really, really great foil for Rocket, which like, again, like you don't think that there have been MCU fair that's where like the villain has kind of taken center stage and it's more or less been

a villain story as well. Like you've think Namor in Wakanda forever and a couple of others. But this is like definitely like a palette cleanser of just searing villainy and fun and

some really, really great performances. I loved it. So I loved him. I thought he was the second best Marvel villain of all time. To be honest with you. Oh, whoa. Whoa. The hyperbole is getting crazy. Like I love this movie too, but Bro, come on, man.

Okay, so after, after. Let him cook. After Thanos, name me a more effective villain in a Marvel film. I'm just asking the question. Effective, like define effective. Okay. So killmonger is right there. I would say that if I'm a prisoner to the moment,

it's, it's, killmonger is the answer to the question, right? Killmonger is, it's. What about what are a soldier? Well, the only reason why. The vulture. The vulture is not in this conversation. to me. Vulture was great. But I think, let me tell you why I think the high evolutionary

is, he's so mad about it. Let me tell you, you're so mad. The Vulture was, look at you, you're so upset by it. Vulture is definitely not even in this, even close. Vulture's not in this. I liked Vulture. Vulture was cool. Respect Michael Key. But the high evolutionary, to me, represents a character like Kilmonger.

Kilmonger is a great villain, a great villain because he's, he's struggling with coming to terms with who he is. The high evolutionary is the tech

bro mutated gone bad. Obsessed with perfection, obsessed with tinkering, lost any shred of his own humanity and willing to just hurt, hurt, hurt, hurt, hurt. And also willing to do something that a lot

these big tech dudes are willing to do, which is actually control, alt delete, like humanity and whole swaths of people. And it was scary because I could see it and feel it and I see the damage that has been done. And you want more than anything. As much as I hate to kill villains, I wanted him dead so badly. I did not feel that way about killmonger. You know what I mean? I didn't. Like, I wanted him dead so badly. So badly. Oh, when Baby Rocket fucks his face up, I've never been happy. I wanted him so badly. And at the same time, I understood him.

The way that he looks at the world, it made me kind of rethink everything. Like they saved the lower life forms at the end of the movie. I think I was actually leaving that movie thinking, you know, I'm hungry later. You know, go home and I'm, there's some barbecue chicken in there.

And I thought for a second, I was like, should I be eating that? Could that be one of Rock his friends? Wow. I'm saying, I'm not. Garden's Galaxy Volume 3 turned you vegan. You know what I mean? I'm like, you know, because there's stuff there and I'm like, I don't want to be the high evolutionary that just doesn't care about lower life forms and is willing to destroy, experiment, and torture them, you know?

So, look, there is hyperbole in this. Look, everyone right now, give me a 10% grace I'm asking for. I was affected, okay? And so what I looked at him, I thought the performance was fantastic. Chuck Woody, who it was also in Peacemaker, and I thought the performance was amazing. I thought he showed that kind of sniveling a villain vulnerability, where you realize that the villain's real issue is that they can't solve a problem

and that that's driving them insane. I loved all of it. I thought the decisions that were made were like, he was a little one note. Like they didn't seem to be very much redeeming to him. But at the same time, I thought it was one of the most effective villains that I've seen like in a while, in a while. So look, maybe I am going a little too crazy. Thank you for talking to me off the ledge. Charles Kilmonger is great.

Vulture is up there. Loki. You haven't put Loki in there? Loki, yes. But I never really viewed him as a villain. Yes. Okay. I mean, he's the villain of Avengers for all intents.

He's the villain of Avengers. Okay. I'm, okay, okay. I can't believe you. I will say this. What I think makes a high evolutionary work is that there's obviously a theme running throughout all of guns work, but especially in guardians of like fathers and fatherhood. And I think the thing that makes high evolutionary so interesting is that it's not just

that he's upset that he can't perfect this world. or these worlds, he's mad that rocket-vested him. He's mad that something that he created could possibly do something and think better than he could. And I think that that is like such an interesting tick for a villain to have because it is so just immature. It is, and it's like something that's very, very real to life when like you start aging and you have various father figures in your life and the tension of like, I'm not only in my

my own person now, but I'm at a point where I could potentially make smarter decisions than you could. And like seeing how that can like fracture a relationship with any type of father figure being like, you were someone I viewed as like a child that I was raising. And now you have like thoughts and experiences of your own. And you might be better at things than I am. I just thought that was fascinating. And think about what we know Rocket as himself to be from not only this movie, but from like Guardians one onward. He constantly reinforces the narrative that he's like a, he's like a monster,

he's a terrible person, he's not a good guy. And now look at what we've had reinforcing that. We've had the high evolutionary in his year, his entire life, and reinforcing the fact that like he thinks that he's let his friends down, that he let all of these people die. And why he sticks with the Guardians,

why he's compelled to save everybody, is because that to him, that's the one thing that he's, he could do to get right. That's the one thing that he can do that could possibly redeem him. When you have somebody like the High Evolutionary calling you an abomination, a terrible thing, a little like

pile of goo that only your brain is valuable, you get Rocket. All of that makes sense now. All of that is reinforced. And that is perfectly done with this villain. I think it's wonderful how this pulled it off. So basically this is the plot of precious, essentially. Shut up.

And why he's precious to and why he's Why he's so devoted to Groot? Also, at the end of the movie where Rocket actually says his name, it, bro, it seems like he's defying the high evolutionary.

It seems like by naming himself, he's taking agency back from the high evolutionary. It's like, this is my name, this is who I am. I am worthy of existence. not because you made me, but because I am here. And it's such a moment of overcoming,

and he's overcome something that was so big. Like, to your point, the one thing that makes Vader the best villain in Star Wars is because he's Luke's dad. And that's how we, you know what I mean? And that's how we were introduced to him. I'm just saying, like, everything else that Vader, we see what corrupted him, and we know that he's Luke's father.

and that in order to win, a man has to beat his father. You know what I mean? Yeah. God damn it. I mean, I got to shout up, my boy. Chukwudi, you know, Nigerians. Shout out, man, we're out here.

We're doing our thing, bro. You see it. We're taking over. Sooner it's going to be all Nigerians doing. Is he part of the 5-inch club with you? Is he? I'm about to say. I don't know what short to be wearing.

Like a 5-inch? I know what short to be wearing. Do you go there? Just imagine Again, I'm the- Some ladies going on Some ladies going on vacation in Nigeria And they think that they're going to get this experience

And then they get there And they land in the tribe of the five-inchers You know And it's again Again You're talking about shorts You are going to get us I'm talking about shorts

It's your friend of shorts I just want us to You know Steve Keep that Keep that in the back of my mind stressed right now. Good luck at the edit, my boy. Good luck.

Yes, Steve. Good luck with this edit, bro. Good luck, my boy. You know what? I am not going to mention one thing that's in Villain Corner because we're going to move on the nitpicks right now and I'm going to get my nitpick off right here.

I do have one of huge nitpick in this movie. What's up? Okay. He served a huge purpose in the movie, but Warlock was terrible. I love that of Morlock. No, man. He wasn't added much.

I'm with Vann. He was not adding much. No, here's the thing, though. He's the thing, though. It's funny. It's funny. Like, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter.

I think Will Poulter crushed this. He's so great to just kind of be an absolute job. And, like, I'm not going to try to, like, make the sentiment in the comics that he needs to be, like, the Uber Mench of these people and, like, the great, big, bad villain. But, like, to end up being a joke to just be a guy. that flies in, does like one punch and is like, I'm kind of just doing this for my mom. Like, that's funny. That's great.

I don't know. It was like, every time he was on screen, like, I did, I think Will like Will did a great job with what he was given. Do not get me wrong. Like, I thought he was very charming and very funny. It was just like, I was like, you ain't really add him much to the ingredient.

You got to take it away from the go. Okay, fine. What do you want Adam Warlock to be in a movie like this? because I feel like the high evolutionary is taking enough real estate in it. Besides being like the guy who like sets them off on their journey by like beating the shit out of Guardians very, very quickly every single time

he showed up, I was just like why the fuck is this motherfucker here? And even at the end, like this, I have a couple nitpicks. But even like Adam Warlock like saving like Peter at the end, I was like what are we doing, man?

Like who gives a fuck about this motherfucker? So Adam Warlock is way too cool of a character in comic books for this portrayal to get off without me having a couple of things to say. Will Poulter is great. It didn't ruin the movie. His power set was pretty cool. But Adam Warlock is way too chic, too cool, too mysterious, too important, to all of those things. It's a different portrayal. They say this is a young Warlock,

and he's still basically a baby, and I get all of this stuff. But Adam Warlock is like, this is like literally taking James Bond and making him into Mr. Bean. It is. I'm just, I'm saying, that's literally how it is.

Cool. Cool. Yeah, yeah. That's literally how it is. And it's like, I was a little bit, maybe I'm a little bit, too much of an old school cosmic comic nerd

to watch Adam Warlock fumble around and fuck up like as much as he did. Earlier on in his run, in his it's not like Warlock had it all figured out, but, you know, I did that, of the things of the nits that I had to pick,

that was probably the biggest knit. What are some other things that you guys had? I think just like, once again, I really love this movie. Do not get me wrong. I do think there was like a James gunniness of this where I'm like

I just needed him to pull back like 15% like it like I think the movie like there's some fat that you can carve off this movie where sometimes I'm like I think you're getting like a little too cute with it like I know you love this part van but when like rockets in heaven

I'm like brad did we need to do the Harry Potter goes to the white place where like he talks to Dumbledore for the last time shit like it was a lot like in Harry Potter yeah I'm like What are we doing, bro? Can I tell you the reason why I felt like that that needed to happen? I mean, you know, their kids, they're going to watch this shit. And the kids are watching a bunch of animals die.

I really wouldn't recommend kids watch this. I'm just saying, like, the kids are going to watch a bunch of animals die and they're going to go, mom and dad, what the fuck happens after you die? And the parents are going to go home. They're going to be looking at each other in the car. They're going to be like, see, Harold, you said you wanted to take. them out to see Garza Galah. I want to go to medieval times. Look at it now.

Now we have to, you know, and then it's like, you know what I'm saying? And so like they put stuff in that movie to let you know, hey, Rocket will get to see his friends again. No matter what it is that you believe, that part of it, I understand that that was probably a lot for people. But no matter what it is that you believe, I think that they were putting it in there just to kind of smooth over the fact that we had just watched cute animals executed on screen.

We needed a little hope, I think. That is fair. That's fair. It was just like, there are a couple points in this movie where it's like, I think I even, we were texting about it

where I think the movie does such a great emotional job that usually like the part of me that's like picking apart a movie by the end I was like, I don't care because it just works. Like it works emotionally. But there is part of me that's always like,

yo, gun man, like, dog, if you just like shave off like 15 or 20 minutes. This would go from being a superb movie to like a perfect movie. But it's in it. It's just, it's just in it. And it was, the movie got a little bit of a,

not vanilla. It got a little sugary at the end. You know what I mean? It got a little sugar at the end. Jolmi, where are you going to say? Dog days are over? I was like, are we doing this? Are we all? Are we dancing to dog days? We can play Florence. Come on, bro. Yeah, that's not, that's not, that's not, that's not, that's not, they're playing in the club, you know what I mean? Like, it's not. Here's the thing, though, this is how I know, like,

A rocket put it on. He wanted it. Because I'm like, I'm like, dog. Like, Rockets, like, that's the jam that he's going to be like, we did it. Rockets in his feelings. He put on creep in the beginning and he put on Florence in the machine at the end. He's like, he's kind of guy. Honestly, he should have put on something like, knock a few buck at the end.

Like, you know what I'm saying? So crazy. I mean, my nitpick is I still hate how group look. His head too, what? Too big for his body. Oh, steroid. Steroid group. Steroid group, man.

Small group. It's tough. Swell Groot. He need to lay back off the... I like tarantula neck, Groot. You got blown up. Groot, Groot was a silent... He was a silent...

He was a little head. Grue came through in this movie a lot. Also, reinforcing the great narrative that he chooses to say, I am Groot. Oh, I hated that. Another nitpick. Another nitpick. I was like, nah, bro.

We're getting too cute now. Like, he says, I am Groot. Let's not do the... Like, I love you guys shit. I was like, once again... Oh, so here's what... So me and Van... at this conversation

in the movie. But like, did he say that? And what we, what we came up with and I think this is what happened, he didn't say that. He said I am group,

but we heard what he meant to say to his friends. Like, yeah, like we finally understood group. I don't, I think we finally, I think they finally translated group for us.

I think, exactly. I think they heard. All right. I think we heard I am grew almost like, like if you read Timothy's on, if you read Air to the Empire

like he translates Chewbacca for you you know what I mean like you like oh not Chewbacca but it's in like brackets in like the things yeah yeah yeah but I will say if that's what it we were

it was supposed to happen like I think they could have telegraphed it more because I left being like once again loving the movie but also being like we're just between the dog days are over and understanding grew and even the post credit scene

I'm like, bruh, man, like the, it's like, you know what it's like, it's like the band who comes back for an encore, but like they play some shit where you're just like yeah, maybe we should have just wrapped it up a little bit. Somebody mentioned this earlier.

None of the guardians died, but they kind of did die because they killed the versions of them that we knew, right? Which was a very smart, a very smart decision. How did we feel about the breakup of the team and the creation of a new guardians team.

I mean, I'll be real. I was kind of chuckling a little bit when like Peter Quill, like, he's like, all right, I'm going to go see my grandpa. And so like, uh, Saldon is just like, all right, I'm going to go fuck off and hang out with the ravagers. Because I was just like, oh, yeah, these are all of the human characters that no longer want to do MCU movies, which I'm like, that part of my brain could not divorce or I'm just like, oh, it makes sense that the new guardians are just the scene.

DGI characters, Kraglin and fucking Will Polter. So emotionally, I was like, it made sense and it worked, but like the me knowing the Hollywood machination part in the back of my head was just like, womp, wamp, guess your contracts ran out. That is the, that is the thing that I'm like,

again, I think it's probably us in the back of our minds knowing that like the Hollywood machine is going to keep going. And we're like, all right, well, who's still on the board? We got Rocket, we've got Adam Warlock, we've got the one little kid with the funny eye and all that stuff. And to have our post-credit scene just more or less be like a glorified contract announcement, like it's not exactly the, like, we could kind of divorce the sentiment from having like a good sendoff here to, all right, well, who's left? Who's going to be ushering this on? I think that would be my only nitpick, and that probably would be the only thing that actually takes away from the ending because I thought it was rather joyous, like the actual ending itself.

But if we were to like kind of be a little cynical, it'd be like, all right, what are we going to do next here? What's going to be the next move? Who's actually done? Dave Batista certainly fucking done. I think that's kind of the only thing that would have like soured it a tiny bit. But overall, great. Steve, did you want a woge tweet for the Star Lord announcement? Breaking news, Chris Pratt signed a three picture.

Touching. That was a woe. Here's the thing. They thought that they were doing something with that shit. And I was just like, Hey, yeah, I don't know. Is this where I tell the story in my theater? Yeah, Steve,

tell the story of when you went to see this movie, bro. So we've all gone to press screenings and like, not to say that those aren't like, you know, a snooze fest or anything, but like they're not as a lie of a crew as it is on like an opening night sort of situation. So I was with some friends last night, Thursday night, crowded theater very lively everybody popped off at the hallway scene everything like that so everybody was waiting to see what the post credit scene was and everybody who's been here knows that the post credit

scenes just basically Peter Quill Eat and cereal with his grandpa talking and then it says the legendary star lord will return and when that came up on the screen the legendary star world will return there was a collective oh in the theater it wasn't a groan but like a, oh, okay. Like, all right, we clearly didn't miss the mark about why we came to these Guardians movies in the first place. Culturally, the Chris Pratt stock is at an all time low.

I'll be real with you. He's Mario, so. I'll be real with you. I respected Chris Pratt after I saw that. I'll tell you who I do respect. Chris Pratt's agents. Nah, I respect Chris Pratt, and I tell you why. Chris Pratt, you know,

not probably a guy that I want to hang out and talk politics with, but Chris Pratt Chris Pratt knows thyself, okay? Chris Pratt is Mario. Mario make a billion dollars. Everybody else is like, hey, I don't want to be this character when I'm this, because I want to go win an Oscar.

They took Indiana Jones off the table, and Chris Pratt was like, hey, Star Lord, 18, like fucking 2047. He's like, y'all not about to take this cash out. Y'all need me to come back. I'm back. Chris Pratt is going to be Star Lord. Every single thing.

He's right there. Everybody else, Chris Evans, like, Chris Evans could play Captain America for 15 more years. Like, legitimately right now. He's 41. He could play Captain America for 15 more years. Maybe longer. They could have made Captain America into their James Bond, where they're just like, he's just doing like secret agent shit every single movie.

And Chris Evans is like, I'm good. Chris Evans, like, no. Chris, Chris, Kevin's like, I'm thinking of the gym. I want to do some other stuff. Chris Price is like, nah, man. I want to do one of these every couple of years and go hunt wolves from a helicopter.

That's the kind of shit he's into. I don't know. Hunt wolves from a helicopter. And funnel money, this money to the RNC. They're getting this money. You know what I'm saying? Hey, listen.

Speaking of Chris Evans, man, I don't know if any of you all saw ghosted, but he might need to get back in that gym. soon and rather than later. Wow, that is. He's not slow? Nah, man, I mean, you know, the movie, you know, it's not a,

it's a fun movie, you know, it's cool. But if Chris Evans trying to get this bank, you know what I'm saying, he's trying to pay off that second house, he might need a lock back in. You're saying that, like, people need to look like that. That's insane. That's a lot.

I don't think he needs to be, like, super buff, but apparently, like, you know, it's good for the suits. Toxic ass jones. What are you talking about? I can't, I can't, I can't believe that after, excuse me? I can't believe that after what happened earlier in this podcast, Jomey would dare talk about size. Jomey would dare talk about size.

No shot. No shot. I'm not letting this slide. Not let this lie. Okay. We all understood what I meant. Okay. We're just joking.

We got, we got it. All right. You know what? Chris Pratt, you get, get some sets in, bruddy. Come on. Walk in. You know, guys, you know, speaking of endings, we're talking about endings here. It's time for a special part of today's show.

Brought to you by Heineken Silver, New Crisp and Refreshing. Heineken Silver has only 3.2 carbs and 95 calories, a taste with no bitter endings. And we know bitter endings. In fact, let's talk about some bitter endings now. in the MCU, what do you guys feel like is the most bitter ending, the worst, most unfulfilling ending that we've seen thus far, Charles.

I'm sorry to do this Chloe Zhao, you know what I'm saying? You're a legend in this game, but Eternal's, whoa, buddy. Yikes. Let's just say I was left wanting in that press screening. I don't understand. Like, Erosham comes out of the sky, like a god, right? Just like envelopes the entire sky.

The fact that you remember this God's name, you are the smartest man alive, too. Yeah, you are, Jeremy. Thank you. Picks up six people, disappears, and we're like, and that was cool. Anyway, man, what were you doing later? Like, does it come up?

Nobody's like, like, scared for the lives. Just like, oh, man, another day in this, in this world, man. man, who knew God's existed? I didn't. All right. Well, it's nuts. It's nuts.

I'm convinced that the movie had to take place outside of the multiverse somewhere. I mean, I know it didn't, but like nobody has even... I'm serious, bro. Like, so much stuff happened, bro. They, like, hasn't been discussed. The big God, like... The hands? They had the rapture at the end of the movie.

Like, all of these people witnessed a celestial come out of the sky, like pick people up and then you know the whole Ebony Blade thing and Blade is in the movie Don't forget a black man uh built the Atomic Ball Yeah and he cried Standing in the wreckage

And also I'm gonna be real to I'm gonna be real to dog I better never see Harry Styles in the MCU again Like what the fuck? Oh my good Like come on man

Like I forgot Hey, they got Pipped the troll in there. It wasn't that too. And they got Pipped the troll. Oh, what the worst CGI. I had, PS2 graphics. Hey. Oh, my God.

Don't count out Pip the Troll, though. Pipta, I love Pip the Troll, but I don't know, man. He didn't look very pippish. You know what I mean? It wasn't great. And really, as you think about it, the movie, the movie had a bitter ending, but they doubled down with two really bitter post-credit scenes, you know. Well, I guess the one with, with, with,

Blade wasn't that bad, but it's like, whatever. Thankfully, though. We didn't know who that was for forever, though. And then they told us right away. They told us right away. We didn't know when we left the movie. Everybody's like, it's Blade. I'm like, okay, well, I don't, you could have let us, you know, forever.

But here's the thing, though. Thankfully, you guys, with Heineken Silver, you get all the taste with no bitter endings. Only 3.2 carbs and 95 calories. That's new, crisp, and refreshing. Hineken Silver. Order now at Haniken.com slash silver. It must be 21 plus to purchase. Please, guys,

enjoy Hineken responsibly. Post-credit scene, we talked about that a little bit. New Guardians lineup. I want to say one thing about this before we move on to the future of James Gunn. Actually, it ties into the future of James Gunn. Is it possible

to have the Guardians of the Galaxy without James Gunn? I don't think you touch it. to be honest. Like I think Guardians of the Galaxy is so tied to,

I think, James Gunn's vision of it, I am not in a rush to see, I don't want to see this vision of the world without Gunn at the home.

It just, I think it just would be different and part of me would like, and I know Marvel is not going to do this, but I would just

like this to be a nice bow. Like, let my characters be in this world and like, we got three movies of this the ending stuck the landing I don't want to see more guardians if I'm going to be honest

I mean I would like I mean Avengers Secret Wars coming out so we don't see them we're going to see them Jokers again but yeah I don't think you go I don't think you do a Guardians for obviously like you unless it's a big Avengers movie unless it's a big event movie

you let them cook on the side in terms of this particular post credit scene when there's probably my favorite part of the movie, I'm not gonna lie to you. When Cosmo ass rocket, hold on, hold on. When Cosmo asked Rocket on your word captain and then Rocket is like,

Word. I was like, hey man, I love this dude. I love this, I love this world. That was cool, man. That was really cool. That was a great scene. I was a really cool scene. I love that part. I'm looking at maybe if there's a future in terms, yeah, in terms of a Disney Plus show

or maybe, you know, Star Lord joining Avengers. I want to see more. I don't know if it's possible to see more without James Gunn's touch. It's even harder after this movie was gotten so right. But I feel like I want to see more. You know what I'm doing? Guys, guys, guys.

Y'all know that guardian, that new guardian's team is whack, bro. This is the JV motherfuckers. Like, for real, bro. Damn, wow. Come on, maybe bad or more. I'm cooking. You're giving Kraglin minutes on this team?

That's where we're at with our superhero teams. Cragglin's getting minutes? Like, bro, what's we doing? Again, it's a young team. We're talking like, okay, it's the OKC Thunder. You know what I'm saying? Maybe they got shy. You know what I'm saying to Josh Giddy, you know, two Jalen Williams.

You know, they above level. It's not like they didn't make the playoffs, but they're there. They're rising. Plus, you know, Chet on the way. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's all good, baby. And they still got Rockin' Group. They got a solid core.

They got a solid core. Come on. Rocking, and Groot is a solid core. They got the vet. Rocking Group is a solid core. They got a couple of debts. You need a lead. Come on, man.

I can't. Here's the thing. And I love Rocket. I love that Rocket's leader. And Groot will always be my man. I love you, Groot. But they got to give this team more to work with, bro. I can't with Kraglin.

They got the furry motherfucker like there. I'm just like, he doing? They got a child. What are they Batman now? Run around in a suit? Like, nah, bro. I enjoy the fact that the legacy of the Guardians keeps on and we get to see if there's

a possibility. James Gunn, though, is interesting. This is the best audition tape. Not that we needed audition tape. For anyone to take creative control of another universe ever. Nobody ever gets to like a finish on their high with one, on a high with one organization and just move to another organization.

That is nuts and crazy. That is amazing. I would start by saying that you could kind of say that Disney initially firing him was the blessing in disguise from all of this, because that immediately allowed him to jump right to D.C., make suicide squad, make that a hit. hit. Then as he hires him back, gives him a, like, I think that them rehiring him gave him a lot of freedom for this, because this feels like no other MCU movies since end game. Like, they, they broke the F-bomb seal for this. They, like, were, this was probably one of the most violent MCU movies ever. I think that this is probably, like, leveraging the goodwill that James Gunn

wanted to have back in the MCU's good graces. No. what Marvel had and what they're losing now, and then comes back to run DC. It's a perfect setup for him. And I don't think that we could have a better type of hands going out of this old era of DC to move into with James Gunn. So then let me ask y'all this. Does this make you guys excited for the future of the MCU?

Because it's like, we keep talking about this like, damn, we're really excited to see what James Gunn cooking. and James Gunn was never But too bad Yeah Yeah it's still wait Well James Gunn was never going to be

Did you guys think that James Gunn was going to be The Russo brothers Of the MCU He's never shown any desire to do that So then I mean James Gunn was going to be Doing something different Unless he was going to be making Guardians movies

Regardless So to me this has less about the MCU The MCU shows that if you In the hands of a talented filmmaker that the films can still mean something and be great. That's great for the MCU. However, in terms of, I think it means more for the DCU because there's a double-edged sword here.

And on one edge of the sword, you have these capable hands that are crafting the movies coming up, including Superman Legacy, which will be the first film that we get, I'm pretty sure. But at the same time, the expectations are going to be sky high. they're going to be sky high now, sky high in a way that they weren't going to be like before. Will James Gunn change and revitalize the DCU, Charles?

I think that's a tough question for me to answer because I don't know, I'm being completely honest. I don't know if James Gunn's creativity will be enough. And what I mean by that is like, or the MCU to succeed, there were so many things that just had to go right. It was the timing. It was finally technology catching up to where these movies would eventually go. We had never seen this before. We had no expectations.

This was a completely new road. I think what James Gunn is facing is a weaker appetite for these type of stories. And I think what made Guardians work and what still makes Guardians work is because we literally have no expectations for these characters. These characters really did not work until these movies. Nobody gave a fuck about them in the comic books. James Gunn gets to cook. I think there's way more at stake with the first Superman.

We know too much about Superman. We have expectations for Superman. So this isn't me saying that James Gunn will fail. It's just like, do I think James Gunn will make, at bare minimum, a watchable, coherent, Superman movie, yes. And let me tell you, after everything that we've got in for the last couple years in D.C., that is

a very, very hard thing to do. Do I think that that will be enough to, like, combat everything that he's facing in this new ecosystem? I don't know. Let me tell you something. I'm saying it right now. I want you to have to stamp the day and remember it.

He nails Superman, he nails the whole thing. No matter how you felt about Man of Steel, some people loved it, some people didn't. The thing that really can't be denied is that the movie wasn't a solid enough effort to anchor a whole universe. It wasn't. Iron Man was a solid enough movie to anchor a whole networking universe. Batman Begins was silent enough. Spider-Man was solid enough.

Those were movies that led to, but Manist Still, whether you dug it or you didn't dig it, in tone and aim and scope and execution, it didn't accomplish enough for you to, say this is the basis of a whole new crop of films. There was too much left on the, it wasn't enough meat left on the bone. It was kind of weird and smug and dower and you kind of didn't see where everything was going. If he nails the Superman movie and really gives you something,

he'll have what he needs. Because, like, I think people feel like you need to have three, four, five good movies in a row in order for people to like care about your universe, you kind of don't need that many. What you need is a banger and some other, what you can't do is give us okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, bad. Bad, bad.

What? Why are we going here? What am I doing? Huh? What? I took off work for this. So you can't do all of that. So it's a very important movie for James Gunn and it's a really important movie for D.C.

It's all about Superman now. I mean, you know, he's out on this. It's all about Superman. Jomi, what do you think? you think James Gunz got what it takes? I mean, for Superman, sure. But when we start getting to the weeds and we start talking about, you know,

creature commandos and the Amazonian spinoff, I don't know. Like, I don't know all that's coming together. In terms of Superman, specifically, I think, you know, he's shown that he can put together, you know, emotional states. and sentimental stakes, and I think that's something

that's going to be really important in that film. But in terms of building out a whole universe around some of these ancillary characters that we're not really messing with, I guess you can say, like, oh, you did it with Garnings,

but, like, yeah, you know, Creature Commandos, I mean, Guardians worked because we're in that universe, we're in the MCU, like, throw us something, we'll see it,

and it was like, wow, this is, this, this out of, bounds out of pocket team works in his universe. What are the odds? Can he run it back again?

Like can he just do a sequel? I don't I don't know. We'll have to see. I'm with Charles. We'll just have to see it to believe it. I think he's well poised. What were you going to say? It's an uphill battle. It's definitely an uphill battle for him. I know that. To start, I think the hardest thing is to make a absolute

restart from zero from DC and then something to kick off what needs to be a litany of goodwill. You start it with Superman, and if you do get it, that is a magnificent start. I don't know what I think of when I think of a James Guns superhero movie.

I truly don't. I don't understand it. You think, like, I've just seen Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3, that feels like the antithesis of what a Superman movie is. It would be amazing if he pulls it off. I would love for him to pull it off. That would be great.

but to set whatever that Superman is going to be has to have a through line and I don't mean just like oh this ties into that it's more of like there needs to be like an emotional tone a cinematic like benchmark to set for every other film that comes after that that is a hard thing to do I think that's a good

you bet you're betting on a good person to do that but that's a hard mixture to do and to see what comes out of that is going to be exciting. Well, you know, it's great. Everything that you guys are saying is great. And when Superman comes out and it's amazing, I'm going to say, fuck you guys.

You know, the movie comes out. And it's great. I'm going to be like, fuck you guys. I said it all along. I hope you are right, man. I, like, I'm writing that you are right. I do not want a bad Superman movie. I cannot, like, I'm going to be honest with you,

I cannot do another round of bad. DC movies where we like trick ourselves and be like they'll get them next time. I like I don't have another one. Um, last question before we move on to the midnight meeting ranking. Where does the Guardians franchise rank to you guys

up against other Marvel movie franchises? You have Guardians, you have the Avengers, you have Iron Man. I guess you have Dr. Strange. Not really. Well, let's like Captain America's right. Trilogies. Okay. So let's do Trilogies. Okay. So,

Cap Cap has a trilogy. Iron Man has a trilogy. Thor. Thor has a trilogy. Spider-Man. Spider-Man has a trilogy. Okay. So here's a deal.

Guardians. It's number two. Easily. To me, yeah. To me, Guardians is ahead of Spider-Man. Yeah. Okay. I don't think it's ahead of Captain America.

Okay. It easily is ahead. This is what I'll say. Look it. Well, actually. I don't think it back. Wait, no, actually it's tied because here's the thing.

The original Captain America is bad. Like, it's like, Hey, Joe! No, it's not. No. No. Talk to him. It's a bad movie,

bro. It stinks. It stinks. No. It's not bad. Take that back, Steve. Hey, you know, Captain America movie is not much.

It's bad. It's boring. First, Captain America's great. I smell a midnight court. This is a midnight court for sure. It's not. I'm on the fucking Charles.

No, what's deep midnight court? That shit is terrible, bro. I smell a midnight court. I smell a midnight court. It's not bad at all. It's not bad. It's good.

It's so bad. No, you know what? Not a midnight court. I want to get into the weeds. We need to bring this back. We should watch this shit. Like,

we should watch. I watch this. You know what I'm saying? And stand on that shit. Fuck it. Fuck it. Let's do an instant reaction then. Fuck the midnight court.

Let's do an instant reaction. Let's watch it. Let's do Captain America, the first Avenger, on this motherfucker. Let's do it. Charles was right. Fuck Midnight Court. Like, let's watch it and you just fucking with one. Y'all are going to look me in my face after rewatching this movie and tell me it's a good movie.

Like, y'all are going to get into it all the time. All the time? Why? And you get mad at me for what I watch. Because Kalika, because Kalika likes it. So I, you know, pretty much that's why Captain America, baby. Yes, whatever. But I love it.

I do. Okay, cool. So we would say number one would be what? Avengers. Avengers. Avengers. Then Guardians 2. I would say Guardians and Cap are tied for two for me.

Guardians tag cap. You got to know, you can't. No ties. No ties? No ties? All right, here's the thing. I have to put Guardians number one because Captain America,

the first Avenger, brings the whole average down for that series. So Guardians 2. That's insane. You think Guardians 2 is better than Captain America the First Avenger? Easily.

And I don't even like volume two. And here's the thing. I'm gonna like, everybody's gonna get mad at me. I don't even think Civil War is all that. Like Civil War is like good, but it's not like all that.

Like Winter Soldier is better than, Winter Soldier is better than Civil War. Jomi, it is always better than some of me. Jomey, you stand on that? You stand on that? No, no, no, no. Civil War slanding?

You stand on that? No, no, no. Is that your voice? Is that your boy? Is that your boy, Jovie? You stand on that. I'm not with that. I can't.

I can't, I can only go so far. Y'all overrate Civil War. And like Civil War is a fine move. Like, it's fine. But you're all overreed me. Civil War is really fucking good. I don't know what the fuck you're on right now. Yeah, no, this is a way game for you, Charles.

This is not, not. Arjuna's with me. Arjuna, come here. Arjuna, don't. No, no, no, no, no. We don't turn on the bike. Turn on the bike. Arjuna coming from.

What the hell's going on now? Okay, okay, okay. So beyond the fact that you don't think, because we're doing the same Mandalorian Boba Fett thing now. Beyond the fact that you don't think it's actually... I'm talking about the quality of the movie itself. It's Captain America Civil War. It's a cap movie.

God damn it. I'm talking about the quality of the movie itself. Is the movie good, great, or is it just okay, Arjuna? Let's go! Yeah! It's just good, man. It's good. It's good.

Two midnight course. No, we got to watch. Now we got to do... We have to do... We have to do... Cap trilogy. Yeah, we got to do the whole Cap Trilogy.

Oh, no. Twist my arm. Because this is. Oh, no. Because I mean, y'all hating on cap, a lot of people feel that way. It's like whatever. But Civil War, come on, guys.

That's nuts. That's nuts. Come on, man. After all of this time, just for some bullshit. I can't believe. Well, it's like, it's like, Civil War. Civil War isn't good.

Y'all really wild. We said it's good. It's just overrated. About you. Get the hell. off. It's time for the midnight meter. But you have to come back on the podcast when we do this. Since you, since you film a froggy.

Midnight meter, in case you guys don't know, we rank movies from one, two, ten. We can go over ten with these movies, 11, 12, being reserved for films that are truly game-changing. 12 is a perfect score. 11 is more than 10. I will go first, and the entire internet will hate me. Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 3 is an 11 for Van. Sorry.

Oh, wow. You guys say that I'm too. You guys say that I rate things. You guys say that I rate things too generously. I have to be true to myself. It's an 11. I have to be true to myself. Man.

I have to be true to myself and who I am. It can't be a 12. This is egregious. This is egregious. I have to be true to myself. No, no, no. I felt about the movie. Let it happen for the Mulligans, whatever.

I rate Guardians of the Galaxy, volume 3, and 11 on the midnight meter. Don't, right, here's the thing before, like, you should stick to that. But remember, for this Mulligans this year, it is a competition to see whose mulligans change the least.

And, like, you're coming off that 11. I know you're going to come off that 11. I'm a slave to my emotions. And I'm sick of being goddamn ridiculed for it. 11. Yeah, I'm like, I love this movie, guys. This, I had such a fun time in theater. This is getting the, because we can't give half, this is a strong eight.

I can't give it a nine. If we could do half, I would give it an 8.5. This is a great movie. I'm giving it a strong, strong eight. Shit. Okay. An eight? Yeah, an eight.

Man. What? Charles, Charles. That's an 80%. And 80% is a good score. That's Chuck Wagon for you. I felt good. See, but now my, man, you sold on me, Chuck.

If you say this shit is a nine, Jomey, come on. That's like, come on, bro. Nah, like, I came out, but first thing was like, it's got to be like a nine, nine or a ten. And I went back, I saw it again. And I was like, man, this is really good. It's just this really, it's really hit like the second time.

I got to give it a night. I got to give it a night. I'm sticking with a little nine. Y'all are so weak, bro. Y'all are presented as of the moment, man. Nah, man. This movie, this movie hits some different.

It hits some special in my chest. Like, I'm not going to ignore it. It's way up there for me. I have it as a, I have it as a, I have it as a fringe, top five, seven-ish Marvel movie.

I really do. Whoa. What? Oh, right, right, right. Do it. No, no, right, right. Clear the clear, clear, clear before you get your score, Steve. No, no, no, no, no, we can't.

List them out now. I would have to think about it. I would have to think about it. No, don't think about it. No, don't think about it. I would have to think about it. You said it. We can think about it.

Think about it. Think about it. The quality of it, top five, seven-ish Marvel movie to me. I'd have to think about it, but yeah, I'm serious. Well, that's way too much gas. That's way too much gas. Come on. They call me.

All right. All right. Fuck out of here. I'm giving this a nine as well. I think this is by far and away one of the best MCU movies we've had in a very long time and

the smallest of nitpicks only bring this down to a nine but it's really really great to see it land like them land the plane like this and to know that like

James Zealand still got it and he's going to have it when he comes on to his next thing. It's a nine for me. Y'all make me look like such a hater bro. I'm so pissed. right now. I was a hard grader. I know I'm a harsh grader. You say it's an eight.

You put it on the same lines. It's a strong eight. I would give it an 8.5. Like an 8.5. So what did, go back, what did Charles give Thor 11 Thunder? Do you remember?

You changed Thor 11 Thunder to a six. Okay. Yeah. We all chase it to a six. Okay. So I'm off the hook. I'll have to think about this.

Next podcast. Still feel a little high. Okay. Next podcast, I will like the throw love and thunder sucks. Let's look at next podcast. I'm sorry. But look,

this is what I'll do. Next podcast, give me a clear out. I'll give my top seven Marvel movies. And I'll tell you guys why I feel like. I don't believe this movie found its way in there. You have forgotten your history. You forgot your history.

Yeah, okay, Jomi, don't maybe get back on your act. No, just joke. So 11, 8, 9, and 9. All right, look, I go 11. I go 11 for this. You know, I go 11. I stand on it. Right now, now you guys have got me stubborn.

I'm not changing it under any circumstances. It's almost. Great. Great. All right. What a great podcast. I love you guys so much. That's a wrap.

You have to follow us on socials, Insta, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, save Jomi's job. He needs that Selena 7th. This Friday, the House of R. is going to give you their deep dive into the last installment of the Guardians Trilogy, Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 3. And next Wednesday, the Midnight Boys will be back for the Midnight Meter 12 induction ceremony. We're going to talk about litigate and nominate movies to be 12s. It's going to be fun.

It's going to be fun. If you guys have any movies that you think should be considered superhero 12s, let us know. Like, if you think that go off the, go off the, the, the, the beaten path. If you think Chronicle should be a 12. Our credits for this episode, our producer is Steve, the architect, Almond, Joni, Adiron is on social. Hashtag the 5-inch warrior on socials. An auditional production from Archie Runkfall.

Charles. Oh, Jesus. Charles. can't even finish the podcast we're such Charles, we're such chill Charles suck us out guys

I'm trying to cause you're Guardians of the Galaxy was phenomenal. Star Lord coming back is a major bummer. For all the Midnight riders out there, we would like to officially welcome you to the first five-inch soap. It seems shorts.

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